Cheers! Meet your new fashion capital ambassadors

New York is easily the fashion capital of the US, and considering the size of the American consumer market, for many people that makes it one of the top fashion cities in the world. According to a list from Austin, TX based internet analysis company Global Language Monitor, that’s not quite enough to make it number one though. What is enough? How about a blue blood wedding, a newly minted princess with a mostly attainable wardrobe/style, and one design house with a genius founder and brilliant successor (who also played a role in said wedding). Come on down London, you’ve officially been crowned as the internet’s favorite fashion capital.

But is it?

When it comes to socialites, the US has Paris Hilton and the UK has Daphne Guiness. Not even close there. When it comes to hats, you may laugh, but Princess Beatrice won that one too. And sure, it’s true that London’s style ambassador, the former Kate Middleton, can move a dress per minute (or more) with just one outing; and even American companies want nothing to do with our style exports (*cough* Dirty Jersey), but we’re still not sure if the rankings apply in the true fashion world.

Paris is ranked third, behind London and New York respectively, but we’d posit that few people working in fashion would place the French fashion capital at anything lower than number 2 – if that. While London is undeniable when it comes to design talent and sartorial risk taking, Alexander McQueen, John Galliano (who, for all his social failings, is still a talented designer) and even current London top dog Burberry all built their brands in Paris. Burberry made a patriotic return to the UK a few years ago, but when it comes to anchor brands, no one does it better than the City of Lights. Plus, when it comes to making a move into European, Middle Eastern and even Asian stores and press, designers have a presence in Paris because they know that buyers and reporters will have a presence in Paris. Visit Paris during fashion week and you’ll see brands from around the world – including New York, London and Milan – represented at tradefairs, in showrooms and on catwalks.

And New York? Well, sportswear and safe bets may not push the envelope, but it turns out that sometimes staying inside the box can be the beginning of a billion dollar brand. As a fashion capital, New York may not have the history of Paris, but it does have the money.

Though London is putting in a strong effort to support homegrown talent and British brands, it’s still a city largely seen as an incubator for talent, as opposed to a commercial center. While that might not be as sexy as the raw creativity London is famous for, it’s the one thing that New York, Paris and Milan – the cities that make up the top 4 fashion capitals, have in common.

And we’d argue, the one thing that would keep London from truly being number one for fashion.

The Top 10 Fashion Capitals 2011

1. London
2. New York
3. Paris
4. Milan
5. Los Angeles
6. Hong Kong
7. Barcelona
8. Singapore
9. Tokyo
10. Berlin

{Global Language Monitor}

Besides being of questionable legality, there are a number of common sense problems here.

For one, while BlackBerry may have been the preferred communication device among protesters, news of and plans for riots largely spread to Twitter and more public channels. Public channels that police could easily monitor to determine where outbreaks of violence might occur next, to better coordinate their efforts. Even on BlackBerry’s network, there’s nothing to suggest that police who may have had BlackBery devices themselves were banned or restricted from accessing more open forum posts, or submitting their own numbers to organizers looking to rally as many people as they could.

The most secure BlackBerry messages – ones with end-to-end encryption are typically not even available to users not on the type of enterprise plan normally used by large companies and government. {Deutsch Welle} So if everyone else is sending messages that can be unencrypted by any other BlackBerry device, would it not make more sense to simply buy the police department a few BlackBerry handsets so that they could monitor chatter on the network?

That’s to say nothing of more open networks like Twitter or Facebook, who are also coming under fire.

So instead of oh, say, putting a few tech savvy officers on the networks to create profiles, and monitor and potentially engage people suspected of plotting criminal activity, you instead shut down their profiles, forcing them to move to secondary accounts which are further under the radar, or onto methods that are more difficult to monitor, like in person conversations.

Then you not only have plots that are more difficult to trace, but less evidence to actually prosecute people with as well.

Brilliant.

Say what you will about their ethics, but maybe we should get News Corp. on this – they seem to be the one London organization who can figure out how to monitor a person and gather information. A group of anonymous UK residents (ex-News of the World?) created Zavilia.com, a site that uses Facebook to get photos of rioters, and has crowd sourced identification of people in the pictures. Once multiple IDs come in on the same person, the name is forwarded to police. Some particularly bold rioters are posting photos of themselves with their loot on social networks, sites where they can sell the merchandise and doing other things online that are easily traceable and identifiable. All this to say that if a random developer with a few spare hours can figure out how to use social media to identify and potentially stop looters, fame seeking criminals with more braggadocio than criminal genius are openly posting photos, surely the entire UK government can figure out how to prevent and prosecute crimes with the help of social media, not in spite of it.

While there is a real need to review the plans for dealing with sudden and unexpected outbursts of criminal activity, Mr. Cameron’s anti-social media strategy is unlikely to have any real effectiveness within it. BBMs don’t cause criminal activity, for all the credit they’ve received, neither Twitter or Facebook caused revolutions. They may facilitate the planning, but for both good and bad, killing a communication method doesn’t kill the spirit behind the messages.

Four days after the fatal shooting of a man in its Tottenham neighborhood, London is still burning. As firefighters douse the flames of buildings set ablaze from gasoline bombs, the riots responsible for much of the destruction are spreading to other parts of the country. In London, even areas that haven’t been affected by rioting and violence are under a self-imposed curfew that sees stores shuttering early and normally busy streets emptied after sunset.

Four days after the initial incident that sparked the unrest, there still appears to be no definitive end to the organized violence. Some blame BlackBerry BBMs and Twitter for facilitating the organization of riots and looting, but regardless of the communication tools used to communicate, London faces a bigger problem: police can’t figure out how to quell outbursts of violence and stop them from spreading. That doesn’t lend a lot of confidence to the city’s ability to ensure safety for the 2012 Olympics.

The athlete’s village and stadiums for the 2012 Olympics will come with a $15 billion price tag. Officials have said that athlete accommodations will become community housing after the games are over, leaving the city with a net benefit. The destroyed areas of London are just a few miles away from this area. {NY Times}

Much of the destruction has been caused by groups of a few hundred people or so. At one point it was reported that 1700 police officers were on duty, compared to 5000 for the Royal Wedding. {Gawker} Granted, the Royal Wedding was a planned event, but what happens if an unexpected event occurs during the Olympic games?

Will there be a plan in place to handle simultaneous civil protests, terrorist threats and general crowd related security at the same time? Part of the current problem lies with austerity budget cuts that haven’t seen police jobs spared. There are plans to cut 9,000 of 35,000 police jobs, and emergency responders like firefighters and paramedics face staff cuts as well. When the police are busy protecting firefighters trying to extinguish fires, riots spring up in other areas where there is no police presence.

While the city surely has some sort of plan for dealing with the security challenges that come with a major public event, the lack of a tenable plan for keeping unplanned criminal behavior under control with less than 12 months til the Olympic games begin has to be of concern to residents and visitors alike.

Before and after image of  the Allied Carpets store building via the Guardian

Image via TimeOut London

Weâ€re sure youâ€ve heard about the breast milk ice cream that one London shop has had on its menu by now, but yesterday we learned that local officials confiscated all of the supply that was on hand at the store due to health concerns. The ice cream is apparently being sent to be tested for hepatitis contamination. {Los Angeles Times}

In case you missed the news, which has been spreading around radio talk shows, newscasts and Internet blogs for about a week, an artisan shop called Icecreamists in London has been selling ice cream made from human breast milk, dubbed “Baby Gaga” and sold for $22 a scoop. Icecreamists†owners promise the ice cream, which is made with vanilla and lemon zest, tastes fantastic. {Shape} Apparently someone out there agreed, as the flavor quickly sold out. {Time Out London}

Concerns from England’s Health Protection Agency that the breast milk used to make the ice cream was not properly tested for harmful bacteria resulted in officials confiscating remaining supplies. Shape spoke with Dr. Ruth Lawrence, director of the Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Study Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center, told the health and fitness magazine: “The bigger philosophical issue is there are so many small babies and sick babies who desperately need breast milk. If women have milk to give, it would be wonderful to donate it to a milk bank…I suspect the breast milk ice cream contains only trace amounts, anyway.” For what it’s worth, the Icecreamists have maintained that the breast milk used was tested for the same diseases that blood is tested for when donated.

This may be a case where the gross factor is in our heads, but we wonâ€t be trying Baby Gaga any time soon. Sure, we know where the milk in stores comes from, and cow milk might have an ick factor for some. Still, ingesting anything that contains even a sliver of something that was secreted from another humanâ€s body is just too disgusting. Once youâ€re past a few months old, breast milk should be out of the question. Plus, $22 for a scoop of what amounts to cleverly marketed baby food exceeds our budget range.

The Icecreamists are known for clever names like Sex Bomb and the Vanilla Monologues, but we aren’t sure about this one. We first heard of the product via a tweet that said something about Baby Gaga but didnâ€t say what Baby Gaga was, so we thought Lady Gaga was pregnant or showing off pictures from when she was a child. Incorporating the name of one of the worldâ€s biggest pop stars, while good for grabbing the attention of Gaga fans via vague headlines, doesnâ€t seem like itâ€s all that great for creating a distinct brand identity. With a forthcoming Lady Gaga scent tapping blood and semen for inspiration {Fashionista} and the Lady’s propensity for outfits from the butcher, it’s probably not the kind of association that helps sell people on body fluids as ingredients anyway. On their Facebook page, the Icecreamists say they have a revamped baby formula version ready to roll. Might we suggest a re-naming party to celebrate?

“One (model) turned to give me an extremely prominent close-up of her mostly naked back view,” Wintour told a congregation of more than a thousand people. “Well, after that collection it was a done deal. Everybody lowered their trousers everywhere.” {The Cut}

Stars like Sarah Jessica Parker, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Bjork and Daphne Guinness paid their respects to the talented and missed McQueen. Prayers were said, remembrances were read, and Bjork sang a tribute donning angel wings. {FabSugar}

Long live McQueen.

Last week, the luxury fragrance house sent five perfumed taxi cabs out into central London to serve patrons the same way any other London black taxi would with a few exceptions. Each cab smells like either the brandâ€s Artemisia, Blenheim Bouquet, Endymion, Malabah or Orange Blossom perfume, and each oneâ€s driver is specially trained to discuss Penhaligonâ€s fragrances and answer any questions about the brand. Passengers will receive a 10 percent voucher for purchases at penhaligons.com and in Penhaligonâ€s boutiques at the conclusion of their ride. {InStyle UK}

Londoners will easily be able to spot the cabs†outer Penhaligonâ€s branding, and the cost of each trip will run the same as any regular black cab ride. {London Beauty Review} Anyone who spies a Penhaligonâ€s cab but doesnâ€t take a trip in it can still participate in the promotion by snapping a picture of the car and posting it to their Facebook page with Penhaligonâ€s tagged for a chance to win a 100ml fragrance of choice. {Fashion Foie Gras}

Penhaligonâ€s is not the first company to embrace the taxi as a marketing tool. Last month, Revlon offered Londoners who photographed the turquoise taxi they sent around the city and tagged Revlon in the picture on Facebook a chance to try the brandâ€s latest mascara before it hit shelves. {London Beauty Review} In addition, Fashion Foie Gras says tons of major retail outlets have used the taxi cab in one promotional form or another.

We wonder just who it was that was sitting at their cubicle one day and thought “taxis! That’s how to sell products.” In this economy, we suppose itâ€s smart to get creative with promotions, and the incorporation of Facebook is a good move. We wonder, though, what may be the result if a passenger who is allergic to perfumes steps into one of Penhaligonâ€s cabs unknowingly. Comment and let us know if you think cab marketing is a good idea!

was to be sold by the auction house Christieâ€s

newly announced muse for and face of Nars Cosmetics†fall campaign

The late Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow in a photo by David LaChapelle

“The planned sale at Christie’s could only result in carnage, as souvenir seekers plundered the incredible body of work Issie had created over her life,” the statement said. “Indeed, in many ways, the auction would not be merely a sale of clothes; it would be a sale of what was left of Issie, and the carrion crows would gather and take away her essence forever.”

Guinness†interpretation of Blowâ€s wardrobe as a symbol of the life of the woman she affectionately called “Issie” seems fair given the famous editorâ€s devotion to fashion and impressive collection. Guinness said she consulted Blow’s family, including hat designer Philip Treacy – for whom Blow served as a muse, Lady Amanda Harlech and David LaChapelle before committing to purchase the entire collection, and she said they supported her decision. She also said she plans to preserve the collection the way she believes Blow would have wanted it to be kept. {LookBooks}

“I would like this unique collection, marked by her grace and the fact it was so intimately hers, to allow people (whether students, lovers of fashion, historians) to remember her and benefit from her legacy, when we who knew and loved Issie are no longer here,” Guinness said. “In this way all of Issie’s friends, known or unknown, near or far, both those she chose and those who identify with her, will have access to something that no one should be afraid to call by its proper name: Isabella Blow’s Work of Art.”

Based on this statement, we hope to eventually see Blowâ€s collection displayed for the public in a museum – perhaps at the V&A Museum in London where Grace Kellyâ€s wardrobe was recently shown. Christieâ€s did not do anything wrong by intending to auction Blowâ€s clothing, but we are pleased to know there may be the opportunity to view the collection in its entirety at some point, thus offering a glimpse into Blowâ€s life as well as the beauty of the pieces she accumulated.

"Look guys, you've been great, but I need help from someone with better shoes. Don't take it personally."

In an effort to raise money for Dementia UK, fashion designers, interior designers and others involved in the style world have revamped the age-old tale. Instead of dwarfs, Snow White will be assisted by her seven designers in order to redesign the ugly interiors of flats across London.

Dementia UK is charity that works with Admiral Nursing and the National Health Service to train nurses to work specifically with dementia patients. Due to the deterioration of memory, dementia patients can be violent and uncooperative. Standard nursing training does not prepare nurses for work with these especially difficult patients. Dementia UK provides the opportunity for dementia patients to live a better, fuller life. The charity also works to create policies that protect the rights of older people and dementia patients. {Dementia UK}

Snow White and the Seven Designers will feature several known UK interior designers, as well as other people involved in the fashion business. Most notable however, are the costume designers: Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Giorgio Armani. The costumes will the reflect the high-fashion aspect of the show’s production.

Proceeds from the five night run will be donated to Dementia UK. {Vogue UK}

Louis Vuitton's "Savoire Faire" campaign showed a woman handcrafting folds in a wallet (L), a man painting the sole of a shoe (center) and a woman with needle, thread and beeswax who appears to be hand stitching the handle of a handbag.

Louis Vuitton has a reputation for superior quality, with handbags regularly selling for thousands of dollars, but the photos depict craftsmen hand-stitching leather even though that is not how accessories are made in the French design house. Text in the ads reads, “The seamstress with linen thread and beeswax.”{DailyMail}

Guests at the opening of Louis Vuitton's New Bond Street London flagship included Elle MacPherson, Thandie Newton and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The ASA said Louis Vuitton failed to prove the products were handmade though the label produced evidence that “hand-crafting techniques” were used to create bags and wallets.

Louis Vuitton responded by saying the ads were simply meant to pay “homage to the craftsmanship” of its employees, not depict an exact account of its manufacturing process. The design house admitted to using sewing machines but said handbag production is “not automated,” with over 100 stages in the process of manufacturing one bag.

Three people alerted the ASA of the situation, complaining that they believed the handbags were made by machine. In Japan, the world’s second largest luxury market and a country where 60% of the households own an authentic Louis Vuitton, research found that consumers were willing to spend 50 times the price of a counterfeit bag for the real deal – even if the bags looked identical. {Guardian} The allure of authenticity, which is often intertwined with higher quality craftsmanship, among other things is something that Louis Vuitton and many other luxury brands like Gucci have tried to tap into during the economic downturn.

But modern technology – including efficient manufacturing that automates parts of the process is actually a part of Louis Vuitton posts such healthy operating margins. While hand stitched and folded wallets may seem charming and a mark of quality, it’s not a production method that would scale for a brand as big as Louis Vuitton. Even as far back as December 2009, when the ads were first released, some wondered if the ads went too far in trying to elicit an emotional attachment to heritage. {BusinessWeek} In the UK, it seems that they did.

New York Magazine says the slipup is unlikely to stop people from purchasing Louis Vuitton bags and hopes the ASA will continue its effort to ban misleading ads by forbidding the use of photos featuring unrealistic body types. On both counts, we could not agree more.

London's planned Olympic village

But after the long-term failure of the Millenium dome, the Olympic Delivery Authority and the London Development Agency are working to produce venues that can be reused in some way after the games have ended. The result is the “legacy” idea, in which constructed venues are altered after the games to provide venues usable by the public. In addition, the Olympic Legacy will provide infrastructure development to the largely underdeveloped London region of Stratford City.

The construction and other projects for the 2012 London Olympic Games are such an undertaking that london2012.com was created to provide information about the games, venues and progress of construction. Despite a $39 million budget cut announced Monday, many projects have already come in under budget, saving a total of $870 million. {USA Today} The entire project is currently budgeted at $13.5 billion.

The two major construction projects in Stratford City are the Olympic Park and the Olympic Village. Olympic Park will become the largest European urban park in the past 150 years and will feature both a “festival” area in the south and a more natural, wildlife friendly area to the north. With a projected 2,000 trees of nearly a dozen species, the park will also feature various wetlands and gardens. The park will bring greenery and nature back to an area that was previously suffering.

Meanwhile, the Olympic Village is being built to house 17,000 athletes and Olympic officials. Shops, restaurants, medical and leisure areas are included in the construction, providing communal areas for athletes and others to interact with one another. After the games, the Village will be converted into 2,800 homes, 1,379 of which have been tagged as “affordable” housing. To encourage Londoners to consider Village homes, the newly approved Chobham Academy, yet to be built, will open in 2013. With space for 1,800 pupils, the school will provide education for students aged 3 to 19.

Additional improvements to the Stratford Regional Station will provide more access to Stratford City via Tube lines, as well as easier access from street level via elevators. Combined with the new facilities in Stratford City, the London Development Agency hopes that Stratford City will become a desirable place to live and provide more housing in an already full city.